Automotive side door latch

ABSTRACT

A plate-like pawl blockingly engages between a pair of forked latch members, which are spring-biased toward one another to a position in which they encircle and latch a fixed automobile door keeper. The blocking part of the pawl is an integral plate component on a dogging arm of a heavy duty sheet metal stamping presenting three angularly divergent arms, the mentioned arm being undogged normally by a vertically shiftable, intermittent latch operator, disconnector and control slide when the lock is in an unlocked, non-freewheeling setting. To this end the slide has a laterally offset operating tab which is engageable for the purpose with an integral offset formation on a second de-dogging kick-off arm of the pawl, thus placing the latter in a latch releasing position. When the slide is cocked a bit transversely of its direction of longitudinal undogging shift, in a pivotal movement about a connection to an outside-operated bell crank, the slide overruns or free-wheels relative to the pawl arm&#39;&#39;s offset, hence disables the pawl from unlatching the lock. For the purpose of thus cocking the slide, the latter is provided with an elongated slot which receives a laterally offset tang on one arm of a pivoted multi-arm locking lever whereby, upon a swing of that lever in a pawl-disabling and locking direction, the slide is shifted or cocked to its position to overrun the pawl arm offset. Otherwise, the tab of the slide operates to undog the pawl without interference from the locking lever tang, since the slide&#39;&#39;s slot receiving said tang is elongated, in the unlocked setting, on the direct line of shift of the operator and disconnect slide, hence is idly overrun by the latter. The locking lever is selectively operated by inside remote control and key-operated lever connections. The outside operator is a bell crank type, on an arm of which a bottom portion of the disconnect slide has a fixed, rivet-type pivotal operating connection. An automatic feature is also incorporated to enable the door to be locked without key from the outside.

United States Patent [191 Pickles 1 Aug. 12, 1975 AUTOMOTIVE SIDE DOORLATCH [75] lnventor: Joseph Pickles, Birmingham, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Ferro Manufacturing Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[221 Filed: Apr. 25, 1973 [2l] Appl. N0.: 354,223

[52] US. Cl, 292/216; 292/DlG. 24; 292/DlG. 25

[51] Int. Cl. EOSC 3/28 [58] Field of Search 292/216, 280, DIG. 24,292/DlG. 25

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,312,489 4/1967 Trudeau292/48 3,666,305 5/1972 Schlichter... 292/48 3,695,660 10/1972 Fetters292/216 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Moore Attorney. Agent, orFirm-Whittemore, Hulbert & Belknap shiftable, intermittent latchoperator, disconnector and control slide when the lock is in anunlocked, non-freewheeling setting. To this end the slide has alaterally offset operating tab which is engageable for the purpose withan integral offset formation on a second de-dogging kick-off arm of thepawl, thus placing the latter in a latch releasing position. When theslide is cocked a bit transversely of its direction of longitudinalundogging shift, in a pivotal movement about a connection to anoutside-operated bell crank, the slide overruns or free-wheels relativeto the pawl arm s offset, hence disables the pawl from unlatching thelock. For the purpose of thus cocking the slide, the latter is providedwith an elongated slot which receives a laterally offset tang on one armof a pivoted multi-arm locking lever whereby, upon a swing of that leverin a pawl-disabling and locking direction, the slide is shifted orcocked to its position to overrun the pawl arm offset. Otherwise, thetab of the slide operates to undog the pawl without interference fromthe locking lever tang, since the slides slot receiving said tang iselongated, in the unlocked setting, on the direct line of shift of theoperator and disconnect slide, hence is idly overrun by the latter. Thelocking lever is selectively operated by inside remote control andkeyoperated lever connections. The outside operator is a bell cranktype, on an arm of which a bottom portion of the disconnect slide has afixed, rivet-type pivotal operating connection. An automatic feature isalso incorporated to enable the door to be locked without key from theoutside.

14 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 1 21975 SHEET m8 v "w H N w HIn mw NN HE Q MN N? k u +9. WM) Q AUTOMOTIVE SIDE DOOR LATCHCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION My co-pending application, Ser.No. 207,830, filed Dec. 14, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,784,241 of Jan. 8,1974, discloses a generally similar type of latch or lockingconstruction featuring forked dual jaw type overlapping latch membersspring-biased toward a latching position, a locking lever quite similarto that of the present improvement, and a longitudinally shiftable,laterally or transversely cocked intermittent slide controlled by anoutside operator. However, certain lost motion connections in thatapplication between the latching pawl and the slide, and between theslide and the outside operator are not found in the lock hereindisclosed, being replaced by simpler, fixed pivot arrangements,represented by rivets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present lock,as fabricated in its entirety of inexpensive stamped parts operativelymounted by simple, inexpensive rivet-type pivot connections, is intendedfor installation on truck doors; and for that reason it forgoesrelatively expensive refinements such as are commonly incorporatedpresently in passenger vehicle door locks.

2. Description of the Prior Art The patent to Schlichter, US. Pat. No.3,666,305 of May 30, 1972, is one of a number which disclose a doublejaw-type automobile door lock, and is also generally related to thepresent improvement in respect to a tongue and slot type of freewheelconnection between a locking lever and another latch component, but notto an actuator and disconnector slide as in the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved lock is of an extremely simpleconstruction, incorporating a minimum number of inexpensively stampedlever and slide parts; and the assembly of these parts. typically byrivet-type pivots, is an equally simple and inexpensive matter. Theimproved lock, insofar as its dual forked jaw and spring biasing meansare concerned, presents all of the advantages of the construction of myabove-identified application; and other arrangements like the lockinglever of that application are carried forward herein without substantialchange.

However, pursuant to the present improvement, the multiple arm pivotalblocking pawl f the lock is strongly biased by a torsion spring, whichencircles the pivotal axis of the outside operator and anchors on amounting plate of the lock and on the pawl, towards an automatickick-off position, enabling the lock to be latched, with the pawlblocking the latch forks, when a conventional inside push buttonservicing the lock is depressed and the door is swung closed with theoutside operator in an unlatching position. A further improvement in thelock resides in the fact that a longitudinal operator and disconnectorslide, as directly pivoted on an arm of the outside operated bell crankand shiftable upwards and downwardss by the latter, also carries alaterally offset tab which either engages against an offset formation ona pawl arm to unlatch the pawl or, with the slide cocked somewhat aboutits outside operator pivot, to overrun the pawl arm offset, the unitthus being in an overrunn'ing or freewheeling locked condition. In thiscondition, an elongated slot in the slide enables the latter also tofreewheel in relation to the locking lever.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevational viewshowing the mounting of operating parts of the lock on a door-mountedplate stamping, positions of the components being depicted in solid linein an unlocked and latched condition of the lock, and in dotted line asthey are shifted into positions in which the structure is unlocked andunlatched;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the lock as viewed from the left of FIG.1, indicating a movement of a pawl arm from a solid line, latchedposition to a dotted line, unlatching position, as well as a movement ofa locking lever arm from a solid line unlock position downward to adotted line lock position;

FIG. 3 is an opposite end elevational view of the lock of the invention,as from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1, showing parts ofthe lock in a latched and locked condition of the latter, in which view(as in those of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) certain spring-biased and othercomponents appearing in FIG. 1 have been omitted for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing the lock in release position, i.e.,unlocked and unlatched, with the dogging pawl appearing in solid line inits latch fork un-dogging position, and in dotted line in its doggingposition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 1, 4 and S of the lock in an automatickick-off position; and

FIG. 7 is a similar side elevation depicting the lock in travel positionas unlocked and unlatched.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved door lock of theinvention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, includes asheet metal stamping having a main plate part 11 and a flange affordinga secondary plate part 12; and plate part 11 is fixedly secured, as atcertain punch and boss formations 13 thereof, in a substantially flushrelationship to and across the free, outer edge of the door, instancedabove as a truck door.

As suggested in dot-dash line in FIG. 5, a pair of like latch forks I5,16 are pivotally mounted on main mounting plate 11, bein enclosedsubstantially in their entireties in an arcuate housing formation 18projecting fixedly at 90 from the outer side of plate member 11. Thisarrangement of housing and dual latch forks itself constitutes no partof the present invention, but it is in any event more fully illustratedand described in my application identified above. In the mannerdescribed therein, the forks l5, 16 are operated against spring bias toreleasably latch about a striker or keeper pin (not shown)conventionally affixed to the door frame. They are shown in FIG. 5 asbeing marginally shaped to provide full latch and safety latch shoulders19, 20 respectively; and a single torsion spring (not shown) biases theforks 15, 16 respectively, clockwise and counterclockwise away fromtheir latched position in which, per dotted line in FIG. 5, their latchshoulders 19 engage vertically and oppositely against a part of the pawlof the lock 10, thus to dog forks l5, 16 in a latched positionsurrounding the keeper pin of the lock, as fully described in my saidco-pending application.

To this end, the latch fork shoulders 19 (and in the case of a safetylatch condition the shoulders 20) are held in the door closed andlatched position of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 by a rectangular dogging pawl piece22 integrally formed as a 90 offset of a rugged pawl arm 23, which armis a first integral part of a 3-armed, bell crank-like pawl, generallydesignated 24. The latter is pivotally mounted by a rivet 25 on the sideof mounting plate 11 opposite the side of forks l5, 16 at a pointadjacent the junction of pawl arm 23 with the two other arms 26, 27 orpawl 24. These are respectively a generally horizontally extending,dedogging kick-off arm and a depending spring-operated arm. The doggingor blocking plate part 22 of pawl 24 extends laterally through agenerous size rectangular opening 29 in mounting plate 11, thuspermitting a liberal swing between the positions of part 22 appearing insolid and dotted line in FIG. 5. A lug 30 is struck and offset 90 fromthe plate to serve as a stop for a purpose to appear. Appropriate coiltension spring means (not shown) continually urges pawl 24 toward theforkdogging position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and in dotted line in FIG.5.

A generally vertically acting control, pawl-actuating and disconnectorslide 32 is mounted on the same side of plate 11 as the pawl 24, i.e.,the side of the plate opposite that on which the latch fork structure15, 16 is located. Slide 32 is an intermittent transmitter component ofa latching and locking sub-assembly which further includes a multiplearm locking lever, generally designated 34.

In the general manner illustrated and described in my application, Ser.No. 207,830, said locking lever 34 is a stamping presenting (a) anupwardly projecting arm or ear 36 (FIG. 1) apertured to receive aconventional overcenter coil spring 37 which anchors on plate 11, thepart 36 having provision (not shown) to operate locking lever 34 fromthe usual key-operated cylinder lock of the door; (b) a laterallyprojecting second arm 38 apertured to receive a connector (not shown)operated in the usual manner from a door molding-mounted push button;(c) a third depending arm 39 whose function is later detailed; andentirely as an option, a fourth angularly disposed arm 40, which willafford an operating connection as an alternative to the locking leverarm 38 in an installation of lock in a high cab truck. As a feature incommon with other simplified mounting provisions of the invention, thelocking lever 34 is pivotally mounted on plate part 11 by a headed rivet42.

The plural function actuator, disconnect and control slide 32 is astamping which is considerably elongated in the vertical sense, beingpivotally connected by a rivet 43 at its lower end to an offset arm 44of a 3-arm outside operated bell crank lever 45 in a manner to bedescribed. Medially of its length, the slide 32 carried a 90 offset pawloperating and dedogging tab or ear 46 which, upon upward movement of theslide from a solid line position of FIG. 1 to a dotted line position,engages beneath an integral offset formation 47 of laterally projectingpawl arm 27, thus to shift said arm to the dotted line position thereofin FIG. 1.

Slide 32 is provided adjacent its top with a considerably elongated slot48; and this slot slidingly receives, in a longitudinal lost motionmanner, an ear or tang 49 offset 90 from the arm 39 of locking lever 34,as further shown and described in my co-pending application identifiedabove.

The outside operated bell crank or lever 45 is pivotally mounted onplate 11 by a double headed rivet 51 which, as best shown in FIG. 3,extends through a cylindrical, barrel-like stud 52 backing against themounting plate 11 and spaced at its opposite end from a head of rivet 51by a washer 53. The outside operator 45 is fixedly connected medially tothe outer end of stud 52; and (FIGS. 1 and 3) a strong coil torsionspring 54 medially surrounds and is centered by stud 52. One projectingarm 55 of spring 54 is offset to anchor on an ear 56 struck from theflanged plate part 12; and the opposite arm portion 57 of spring 54 isalso offset to hook through a rectangular opening 58 stamped in thedepending arm 26 of pawl 24, lying behind a struck-out ear 59 at thatopening. Thus torsion spring 54 exerts a continuing strong force on pawl24 to shift the latter clockwise about its plate pivot at 25, i.e., fromthe position of FIGS. 1 and 4 to the position of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, inwhich the pawl is dedogged from between shoulclers l9, 19 of FIG. 5.This occurs in the movement of pawl 24 in kicking off to latch releasingposition, per FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

An arm 61 of outside operated bell crank 45 is offset and apertured toreceive, in a high-cab installation, an appropriate connector (notshown) operated from the usual handle of the door; and bell crank lever45 also has a third arm 62 optionally connected, in a low-cabinstallation, to a similar handle or like operator.

As shown only in FIGS. 1 and 2, the 90 flange plate portion of the locksmount has an inward boss at 64 at which an inside-operated remotecontrol lever 65 of the lock pivotally mounts, again by a simple headedrivet 66, with a conventional snap-over spring 67 interposed between theplate part and lever and anchored to each to effect a desired completionof the swing of lever 65 in either rotative direction.

An outer end of lever 65 is apertured to receive an appropriate remotecontrol connection; and an opposite inner end of said lever is laterallyoffset at 68 (FIG. 2) to effect engagement from beneath with theintegral lateral kick-off arm 27 of pawl 24 in shifting said pawl at itssaid arm from the solid line, latched position of FIG. 2 to the upwardunlatched position appearing in dotted line.

Furthermore, and as is best shown in FIG. 2, the plate flange 12 isstamped to provide a boss 70 at which a double armed auxiliary lockinglever 71 is pivotally mounted by means of a rivet 72. An upper arm 73 oflever 71, as key operated from the exterior, swings downwardly intoengagement with the lateral am 38 of locking lever to swing the latterthrough said arm from the solid line, unlocked position of FIG. 2 to thedotted line locked position therein. Similarly, an integral lower arm 74of auxiliary lever 71 is shiftable upwardly in engagement with arm 38 torestore locking lever 36 to the solid line locking position.

Commencing with the unlatching operation of lock 10 appearing in FIG. I,a counterclockwise operation of outside operator 45 from its solid lineposition to its next, dot-dash depicted station (the lock being ofcourse in unlocked position), causes slide 32 to shift upwardly andbrings its offset ear or tab 46 into the dotted line position of FIG. 1to engage and operate pawl arm 27 from its solid to its dotted lineposition. The corresponding setting appears in FIG. 7, it being notedthat locking lever 34 is shown swung counterclockwise about its pivotrivet 42 to the unlocked position. Such shift of slide 32 in the thusoriented position of the locking lever causes it to overrun at its slot48 the tang 49 on locking lever arm 39 without interference by thelatter because of the linear lost motion; and FIG. 7 shows lock 10 inits unlocked and unlatched travel condition. I

FIG. 4 shows the condition of the lock in its dogged or latched andlocked setting. It is placed in this setting from the position of itsparts shown in FIG. 5 by a push button or key operated counterclockwiseswing of locking lever 34, which causes the tang 49 on lock lever arm39, in going to the right per FIG. 4 in engagement in the slide slot 48,to cam the slide'to the right. This brings the slides actuating ear ortab 46 to a position in which it will not, when the slide is operatedupwardly, engage the offset 47 of pawl arm 27. Instead, it overruns orfreewheels relative to said arm, disabling the lock for unlatching; andthe idling shift of slide 34 is again accommodated at its slot 48. Thelock remains in the dogging position of the pawl plate 22.

The unlocked and unlatched setting of the lock 10 represents thecondition and position of the parts upon an undogging of the lock fromthe dotted line position of pawl plate 22 (per FIG. 5) to the solid lineposition of that figure, as also shown in FIG. 7. In this setting, acounterclockwise swing of outside operator 45 has caused slide 34 toshift upwardly, with the result that it has cammed the locking levertang 49 from the position of FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 7, shifting theslide 32 from a substantially vertical orientation of its slot 48 to aposiition canted upwardly and to the left as viewed in FIG. 7. The sameorientation can of course be obtained by a direct manipulation oflocking lever 34. The slide tab or ear 46 is again brought directlybeneath the offset 47 on pawl arm 27.

The kick-off position of FIG. 6 results when, after the doorsgarnish-mounted push button has been depressed the door is closed withits outside operating handle and the locks lever 45 non-actuated. Theheels of the forks l5, 16, in a spread condition thereof strike thekeeper of the vehicle and close about it; and the strong main spring 54of the lock overcomes the force of the tension spring (not shown)normally biasing pawl 24 toward its fork dogging position, swinging thepawl clockwise (FIG. 6) about its pivot at 25 to the undogging position.The kick-off is nullified by holding the outside operating handle in anactuated position as the door is closed with the push button depressed.In all of the lock positions appearing in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, the upperarm 36 of lock lever 34 engages against the plate lug as a stop.

What is claimed is:

I. In an automotive door lock, 21 fixed mounting plate, a pawl having afixed pivotal mount to operate on said plate, said pawl having anoperating arm, an operating lever similarly mounted by a fixed pivot onsaid plate, an intermittent operating slide having a fixed pivotalconnection to said operating lever to be operated by the latter, alocking lever having a fixed pivot on said mounting plate, said slidehaving an actuator element engageable with the pawl operating arm toswing the pawl in a latch-releasing direction, the slide having a lostmotion overrunning connection with a part of the locking lever and beingengaged at said last-named connection by said locking lever part toshift the slide to a position in which its actuator element fails toengage said pawl operator arm, and spring means acting directly on andbetween a fixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on saidpawl, said spring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotalplate mount in a latch-releasing direction.

2. In an automotive door lock of the double fork latching typecharacterized by oppositely swingable latch forks releasably held in adoor latching relation to one another, a fixed mounting plate on oneside of which said forks operate, a pawl having a fixed pivotal mount tooperate on the other side of said plate, said pawl being releasablyengageable between said forks and having an operating arm, an operatinglever similarly mounted by a fixed pivot on said other plate side, anelongated intermittent operating slide disposed on said other side andhaving a fixed pivotal connection to said operating lever to be operatedby the latter in a longitudinal path paralleling the slides elongation,a locking lever having a fixed pivot on said mounting plate to swing onsaid other side of the latter, said slide having an actuator elementengageable with the pawl operating arm to swing the pawl in afork-releasing direction, the slide having a lost motion, longitudinallyoverrunning connection with a part of the locking lever and beingengaged at said last-named connection by said locking lever part toshift the slide to a position in which its actuator element fails toengage said pawl operator arm, and spring means acting directly on andbetween a fixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on saidpawl, said spring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotalplate mount in a forkreleasing direction.

3. The door lock of claim 1, in which the fixed pivotings of said pawl,operating lever, slide and locking lever are all through the agencyrivet-like components.

4. The door lock of claim 2, in which the fixed pivotings of said pawl,operating lever, slide and locking lever are all through the agency ofsimple rivet-like components.

5. The door lock of claim 1, in which said lost motion overrunningconnection of said slide and locking lever part is at an opening in theslide which receives said lever part.

6. The door lock of claim 2, in which said lost motion overrunningconnection of said slide and locking lever part is at an elongated slotin the slide which receives said lever part, the slot affordingoperating clearance for the slide relative to said locking lever part inthe longitudinal overrunning of the slide.

7. The door lock of claim 1, in which said mounting plate has a bentflange, said flange affording fixed pivotal connections for a pair ofmembers which respectively operate said locking lever and said operatingarm of the pawl.

8. The door lock of claim 2, in which said mounting plate has a 90 bentflange, said flange affording fixed pivotal connections for a pair ofmembers which respectively operate said locking lever and said operatingarm of the pawl.

9. The door lock of claim 1, in which said actuator element of the slideis an integral ofiset formation of the latter.

10. The door lock of claim 2, in which said actuator element of theslide is an integral offset formation of the latter.

11. In an automotive door lock, a fixed mounting plate, a pawl pivotallymounted on said plate, said pawl having an operating part, an operatinglever pivotally mounted on said plate, an intermittent operating slidehaving a connection to said operating lever to be operated by thelatter, said slide having an actuator element fixedly mounted thereonand engageable with the pawl operating part to swing the pawl in alatch-releasing direction, and spring means acting directly on andbetween a fixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on saidpawl, said spring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotalplate mounted in a latchreleasing direction.

12. In an automotive door lock of the double fork latch typecharacterized by oppositely swingable latch forks releasably held in adoor latching relation to one another, a fixed mounting plate on oneside of which said forks operate, a pawl pivotally mounted on saidplate, said pawl being releasably engageable between said forks andhaving an operating part, an operating lever pivotally mounted on saidplate, an elongated intermittent operating slide having a connection tosaid operating lever to be operated by the latter in a longitudinal pathparalleling the slides elongation, said slide having an actuator elementengageable with the pawl operating part to swing the pawl in a forkreleasing direction, and spring means acting directly on and between afixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on said pawl, saidspring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotal plate mount ina forkreleasing direction.

13. The door lock of claim 1 l, in which said actuator element of theslide is an integral offset formation of the latter.

14. The door lock of claim 12, in which said actuator element of theslide is an integral offset formation of the latter.

1. In an automotive door lock, a fixed mounting plate, a pawl having afixed pivotal mount to operate on said plate, said pawl having anoperating arm, an operating lever similarly mounted by a fixed pivot onsaid plate, an intermittent operating slide having a fixed pivotalconnection to said operating lever to be operated by the latter, alocking lever having a fixed pivot on said mounting plate, said slidehaving an actuator element engageable with the pawl operating arm toswing the pawl in a latch-releasing direction, the slide having a lostmotion overrunning connection with a part of the locking lever and beingengaged at said last-named connection by said locking lever part toshift the slide to a position in which its actuator element fails toengage said pawl operator arm, and spring means acting directly on andbetween a fixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on saidpawl, said spring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotaLplate mount in a latch-releasing direction.
 2. In an automotive doorlock of the double fork latching type characterized by oppositelyswingable latch forks releasably held in a door latching relation to oneanother, a fixed mounting plate on one side of which said forks operate,a pawl having a fixed pivotal mount to operate on the other side of saidplate, said pawl being releasably engageable between said forks andhaving an operating arm, an operating lever similarly mounted by a fixedpivot on said other plate side, an elongated intermittent operatingslide disposed on said other side and having a fixed pivotal connectionto said operating lever to be operated by the latter in a longitudinalpath paralleling the slide''s elongation, a locking lever having a fixedpivot on said mounting plate to swing on said other side of the latter,said slide having an actuator element engageable with the pawl operatingarm to swing the pawl in a fork-releasing direction, the slide having alost motion, longitudinally overrunning connection with a part of thelocking lever and being engaged at said last-named connection by saidlocking lever part to shift the slide to a position in which itsactuator element fails to engage said pawl operator arm, and springmeans acting directly on and between a fixed part of said mounting plateand a part fixed on said pawl, said spring means strongly biasing saidpawl about its pivotal plate mount in a fork-releasing direction.
 3. Thedoor lock of claim 1, in which the fixed pivotings of said pawl,operating lever, slide and locking lever are all through the agencyrivet-like components.
 4. The door lock of claim 2, in which the fixedpivotings of said pawl, operating lever, slide and locking lever are allthrough the agency of simple rivet-like components.
 5. The door lock ofclaim 1, in which said lost motion overrunning connection of said slideand locking lever part is at an opening in the slide which receives saidlever part.
 6. The door lock of claim 2, in which said lost motionoverrunning connection of said slide and locking lever part is at anelongated slot in the slide which receives said lever part, the slotaffording operating clearance for the slide relative to said lockinglever part in the longitudinal overrunning of the slide.
 7. The doorlock of claim 1, in which said mounting plate has a 90* bent flange,said flange affording fixed pivotal connections for a pair of memberswhich respectively operate said locking lever and said operating arm ofthe pawl.
 8. The door lock of claim 2, in which said mounting plate hasa 90* bent flange, said flange affording fixed pivotal connections for apair of members which respectively operate said locking lever and saidoperating arm of the pawl.
 9. The door lock of claim 1, in which saidactuator element of the slide is an integral offset formation of thelatter.
 10. The door lock of claim 2, in which said actuator element ofthe slide is an integral offset formation of the latter.
 11. In anautomotive door lock, a fixed mounting plate, a pawl pivotally mountedon said plate, said pawl having an operating part, an operating leverpivotally mounted on said plate, an intermittent operating slide havinga connection to said operating lever to be operated by the latter, saidslide having an actuator element fixedly mounted thereon and engageablewith the pawl operating part to swing the pawl in a latch-releasingdirection, and spring means acting directly on and between a fixed partof said mounting plate and a part fixed on said pawl, said spring meansstrongly biasing said pawl about its pivotal plate mounted in alatch-releasing direction.
 12. In an automotive door lock of the doublefork latch type characterized by oppositely swingable latch forksreleasably held in a door latching relation to one another, a fixedmounting plate on one side of which said forks operate, a pawl pivotallymounted on said plate, said paWl being releasably engageable betweensaid forks and having an operating part, an operating lever pivotallymounted on said plate, an elongated intermittent operating slide havinga connection to said operating lever to be operated by the latter in alongitudinal path paralleling the slide''s elongation, said slide havingan actuator element engageable with the pawl operating part to swing thepawl in a fork releasing direction, and spring means acting directly onand between a fixed part of said mounting plate and a part fixed on saidpawl, said spring means strongly biasing said pawl about its pivotalplate mount in a fork-releasing direction.
 13. The door lock of claim11, in which said actuator element of the slide is an integral offsetformation of the latter.
 14. The door lock of claim 12, in which saidactuator element of the slide is an integral offset formation of thelatter.